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The NAACP ( N ational A ssociation for the A dvancement of C olored P eople) is an organization devoted to combating racism against ethnic minorities through legal, democratic means, as well as spreading education and conducting outreach to organize and promote the interests of ethnic minority communities within the United States. From its founding to the present, it continues to contribute to voter mobilization efforts, monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors, and remains the oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots–based civil rights organization in the United States.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Contacting Your Local Branch

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  1. The NAACP has a website where you can locate any units local to you. [1]
    • From the main page of the NAACP website, look at the right of the main banner. There is a menu titled “Get Involved” with three options. The last one is “Find Your Local Unit”; click there.
    • You will arrive at a screen with a map and a blank command line, asking for your zip code. Type your zip code into the command line and click “Search.”
    • The map will now show a series of red markers indicating the nearest location(s). Left-click on a marker; an address box will pop-up, telling you where to find this local unit.
  2. If you are interested being more active in your local NAACP unit, follow the directions below: [2]
    • From the NAACP webpage, find the Command Bar near the top of the screen. Look for the tab titled “Take Action.” Mouse over it with your cursor and a drop-down menu appears. From this drop-down menu, move the cursor down and left-click on one of the following options: “Take Action,” “Become a Member,” or “Petitions.”
    • Additionally, each page of their website contains a field near the top right of the screen where you can include your email and zip code. Simply add the relevant data and click the “Sign Up” button to get information on when/where the NAACP needs assistance.
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  3. The NAACP has a rich and active social media presence. To follow them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Flickr, follow the instructions below:
    • From the NAACP main webpage, look to the right of the screen. There is a menu titled “Get Involved”; below it is a header reading “Stay Connected.” There is a row of icons below the header that you can left-click to link the social media source to your personal account.
    • You can also follow the NAACP blog. Simply navigate to it from the command bar or on your website or add the blog link you’re your favorite RSS reader.
    • Be advised that you must first have an account through one of these providers before your will be able to link your account to the NAACP feed.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Contacting a Regional or National Office

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  1. The NAACP website has a “Contact Us” FAQ for anyone attempting to reach a regional or national office. It is located on their website. [3]
    • From the NAACP website, access the Command Bar at the top of the page. Look for the tab called “About Us.“ Mouse over it with your cursor and a drop-down menu appears. From this drop-down menu, move the cursor down and left-click on the “Contact Us” menu option.
  2. The NAACP contact page is intended to direct interested persons to the correct bureau office for their region or interests and contains several different email addresses and contact number for specific persons. In order to speed processing of request or comment, consider contacting one of these offices directly. Some of these offices include contacts for: [4]
    • Youth outreach
    • National events
    • Field organizing
    • Fund raising
    • Education and scholarships
  3. To contact the national office, you can write, call, or email using the following information: [5]
    • Mailing address: 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore MD 21215
    • Local telephone number: (410) 580-5777
    • Toll free telephone number: (877) NAACP-98
  4. For convenience, the NAACP “Contact Us” page also includes an electronic form for general inquiries. Simply scroll past the address list to the bottom of the page and fill out. Be sure to indicate in the check boxes whether you would like to subscribe to updates or be included on an email list.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Understanding the Purpose of the NAACP

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  1. The NAACP was founded to “secure for all people the rights guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution.”
    • Passing these amendments promised an end to slavery, equal protection under the law for all persons, and universal adult male suffrage.
  2. Working to ensure political, educational, social and economic equality of ethnic minority group citizens of the United States, the NAACP hopes to bring an end to racial discrimination through use of non-violent democratic processes. Some of the most famous outcomes of NAACP action are: [6]
    • Desegregation of the US Armed Forces (1948)
    • Overturning Plessy vs. Ferguson, a ruling which had established segregation as legal under the 14th amendment (1954)
    • Passage of the “Civil Rights Act” and the “Voting Rights Act,” ensuring an end to institutional segregation and enabling universal suffrage (1964-65).
  3. The NAACP continues to use community outreach and scholarships to empower minorities throughout the US and bring increased racial justice to the nation. [7]
    • Providing legal representation and support during the Civil Right Movement (1950s-60s) for activists like Martin Luther King, Jr., the Freedom Riders, and members of the Southern Leadership Conference, a Christian religious group that participated in boycotts and marches in favor of civil rights. To this day, NAACP continues to speak and act on behalf of those who have been discriminated against for their race.
    • Handling scholarships for the NAACP, the POISE Foundation, awards over a hundred separate awards from named endowments each year to talented Black students. It also has a general endowment fund to offer assistance to students who do not qualify for other endowments. [8]
    • Supporting and protecting the rights of ethnic minorities through pro bono legal services and representation in court, the NAACP continues to fight discrimination. If you are a US citizen, a member of an ethnic minority, and you have been a victim of institutionalized discrimination and prejudice, contact the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to see if you qualify for their services. [9]
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    I had a supervisor make a remark about me and my co-workers, it was sexual. What should I do?
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    The best thing to do would be to file a complaint with human resources documenting the issue. Most companies have policies to deal with such an incident.
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    How do I find the main website for NAACP?
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    Simply search for "NAACP" in your browser, and the official website should be the first thing that pops up.
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    What chapter of NAACP can I contact for wrongful termination of an "at will" employee in the state of Florida?
    CageyCat
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    "At will" means just that -- " 'At (the company's) will', a person can be fired as easily as being hired, and they don't need to have or to give the ex-employee any reason whatsoever." This is the basic employment law in all 50 states of the USA.
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